Breathe September #12: Relax.

I grew up in a very busy house, with high goals and not a lot of down time. Expectations to be someone, to do well, to work hard and to never let your guard down meant I really didn't understand the word "Relax" until I was much older. You may find this little tidbit funny but it's a true story .... guess where I learned for the first time in my life, after many children, after many goals and achievements, after getting to a good place? Believe it or not, Las Vegas! Yes, the place that is open 24 hours a day. And how did I learn to relax there, you may be asking? Here's the short story: my dh was invited to a conference and all the wives in the company were allowed to come along for the trip, paid for in full. Who could turn down that opportunity? Well I almost did. Vegas has never been on my bucket list and personally, I'm not a big on crowds, noise and lights drive me crazy, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't fit in with a very suave group of women who would be attending. But my dh was persistent and in the end, I decided 4 days away from our kids wasn't the end of the world. Off we went and although I have no wish to return, it was an amazing trip and one I'm glad we did take.

The relaxing part didn't happen right away. It took a day or so to feel like I would fit with the other ladies but they were surprisingly very welcoming and soon I found myself shopping at the outlet stores, fits of laughter the plan for the day. Next came a lesson on how to spend an afternoon soaking up the rays, floating in the pool at Mandelay Bay, while the pool waiter (yum!) would bring us our lunches and copious amounts of fruity, icy concoctions to keep us well hydrated. I found myself learning I could let go of the stress and take some time for me. It worked and after this trip, I used the things I learned from the other moms to give myself time to breathe, and relax each day. A trip I didn't want to go on ended up being a trip that taught me some valuable lessons in being the best mom, daughter, friend and most importantly, wife by allowing myself to relax and enjoy life.